Family Fun Devarim

A very warm welcome indeed to the fifth and final book of the Torah. The book of Devarim is a wonderful source of all the fundamentals of the Jewish faith – the existence of G-d, how He appeared on Mount Sinai and gave us the Torah and the reward and punishment for doing Mitzvot. It is also a provides a synopsis of the Jewish people’s travels and travails through the wilderness. It teaches us how to love and fear Hashem and to walk in His ways.

The sidra opens by describing where the Jewish people were up to when Moshe began his 30+ day lecture of love. It was Rosh Chodesh Shevat, and he began by hinting to them some of the places where they and/or the previous generation had unfortunately stumbled.

Life was not easy for Moshe in the wilderness; he was not given an easy time by the Jews. He was sometimes made fun of; his leadership and integrity challenged, and it was in some ways due to their rebellion that he ended up hitting the rock and was thus banned from entering the holy land. Nevertheless, he did not reprimand them in order to “get even” with them; he brought home the lessons that they vitally needed to carry with them when he was to leave this world. He describes to them how they required judges to relieve some of the burden off him and how he had instructed them to listen to the litigants and bring any complicated issue to him. Moshe reminds the Jewish people how they clamoured around him, demanding the sending of spies to check the land – although G-d had assured them it would be good. When the spies return how the Jewish people grumbled in their tents, “Hashem hates us!”. How ridiculous – Hashem actually loves His nation. We felt hatred towards Him and therefore we imagined that this feeling was reflected. This is important for life – if you feel hatred towards someone this does NOT mean that they have ANYTHING against you!

When it was time to travel in the vicinity of Esav, we were warned not to attack Esav or try to take away his inheritance which G-d had designated for him. We were likewise warned not to attack Moav. Moshe reminds the Jewish people how they sent messengers to Sichon King of Cheshbon requesting access through his land, to no avail. Sichon instead tried to attack the Jewish nation, to no avail! Then they were confronted with Og, the giant, and his nation, but, once again, Hashem saved His nation.

Finally, Moshe reminds them how the east of the river Jordan has been given to the tribes of Reuven, Gad and half of Menashe.

Moshe recollects how he inspired Yehoshua – “Look and see how Hashem enabled us to overcome the two mighty kings Sichon and Og; so too will he do for you in relation to other kings who occupy the land of Cana’an”. Words of encouragement and hope designed to instil faith of G-d in the soon-to-be leader of the Jewish nation.

It contains 105 verses, 1,548 words and 5,972 letters.

Beginning of Moshe’s final speeches